Mobye Narapati
Encyclopedia
Mobye Narapati was the penultimate king of Ava
who reigned from 1546 to 1552, as the disputed representative of the Confederation of Shan States
that had ruled Ava since 1527. Before succeeding his father Hkonmaing
as king of Ava, Narapati was saopha
(chief) of the Shan state
of Mong Pai (Mobye in present day northern Kayah State
), which was a tributary state of Hsipaw
(Thibaw). (His father was saopha of Hsipaw.)
Narapati III's ascension to the Ava throne was actively opposed by the Shan state of Mohnyin
. As the most powerful state in the confederation, and as one that led the 1527 conquest of Ava, Mohnyin felt that the ruler of Ava should be one of its representatives—not of the House of Hsipaw which as the main ally of Ava fought against the confederation in the 1520s. Without Mohnyin's active support, Narapati ruled just a small area around Ava. The succession dispute escalated, and in 1551 Sithu Kyawhtin
, a son of Saopha
of Mohnyin, raised a rebellion. He occupied Sagaing
, across the river from Ava, and began an assault on Ava. In 1552, Narapati III fled south to the Toungoo Kingdom
led by King Bayinnaung
.
Ava Kingdom
The Ava Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma from 1364 to 1555. Founded in 1364, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms that had ruled central Burma since the collapse of Pagan Empire in the late 13th century...
who reigned from 1546 to 1552, as the disputed representative of the Confederation of Shan States
Shan States
The Shan States were the princely states that ruled large areas of today's Burma , Yunnan Province in China, Laos and Thailand from the late 13th century until mid-20th century...
that had ruled Ava since 1527. Before succeeding his father Hkonmaing
Hkonmaing
Hkonmaing was king of Ava from 1543 to 1546. The long-ruling saopha of the Shan state of Onbaung Hsipaw was the main ally of King Shwenankyawshin of Ava in their 20 years' war against the Confederation of Shan States led by Mohnyin...
as king of Ava, Narapati was saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
(chief) of the Shan state
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
of Mong Pai (Mobye in present day northern Kayah State
Kayah State
Kayah State is a state of Myanmar. Situated in eastern Myanmar, it is bounded on the north by Shan State, on the east by Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province, and on the south and west by Kayin State. It lies approximately between 18° 30' and 19° 55' north latitude and between 94°40' and 97° 93' east...
), which was a tributary state of Hsipaw
Hsipaw
Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State...
(Thibaw). (His father was saopha of Hsipaw.)
Narapati III's ascension to the Ava throne was actively opposed by the Shan state of Mohnyin
Mohnyin
Mohnyin is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is the administrative center for both Mohnyin Township and Mohnyin District.Shells of different sizes were found in mass on 19 September. Those were found in apple-pie order while rooting up a tree between MohnyinDistrict Court and the Township...
. As the most powerful state in the confederation, and as one that led the 1527 conquest of Ava, Mohnyin felt that the ruler of Ava should be one of its representatives—not of the House of Hsipaw which as the main ally of Ava fought against the confederation in the 1520s. Without Mohnyin's active support, Narapati ruled just a small area around Ava. The succession dispute escalated, and in 1551 Sithu Kyawhtin
Sithu Kyawhtin
Sithu Kyawhtin was the last king of Ava who reigned from 1552 to 1555. The ethnically Shan king, a son of Sawlon the saopha of Mohnyin, came to power in 1552 after driving out King Mobye Narapati from Ava. In March 1555, Ava was taken by King Bayinnaung of Toungoo, and Sithu Kyawhtin was carried...
, a son of Saopha
Saopha
Saopha, Chaofa, or Sawbwa was a royal title used by the rulers of the Shan States of Myanmar . The word means "king" in the Shan and Tai languages...
of Mohnyin, raised a rebellion. He occupied Sagaing
Sagaing
Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...
, across the river from Ava, and began an assault on Ava. In 1552, Narapati III fled south to the Toungoo Kingdom
Toungoo Dynasty
The Toungoo Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Burma from the mid-16th century to 1752. Its early kings Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung succeeded in reunifying the Pagan Empire for the first time since 1287, and in incorporating the Shan States for the first time...
led by King Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung
Bayinnaung Kyawhtin Nawrahta was the third king of the Toungoo dynasty of Burma . During his 30-year reign, which has been called the "greatest explosion of human energy ever seen in Burma", Bayinnaung assembled the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, which included much of modern day...
.